Slender Tree Frog

(Litoria adelaidensis)

The Slender Tree Frog is one of Australia’s most attractive frogs. Slender Tree Frogs (Litoria adelaidensis) are small Western Australian frogs. These elegant frogs are common in the southwest of Western Australia. The range of Slender tree frogs extends up to 500km north of Perth, east to Esperance, and inland to the Stirling ranges.

Habitat

Inhabiting local lakes and wetlands in urban areas, they often cling to standing reeds. In rural areas, they inhabit lakes, streams, wetlands and dams. At night they leave the safety of the water to hunt for food, climbing up reeds and the base of trees, particularly paperbarks that occur in swampy areas.

Description

Slender tree frogs are generally a solid colour, varying from green to fawn or gold, but sometimes have spots and patches of colour variation within that range. Regardless of colour, a solid dark stripe runs down the side of the head and body through the eye, and the back of the thigh is also black but may have yellow or red spots. The underside is a pale creamy white. They grow to no more than around 4.7cm in length and have dilated discs on their webbed toes.

Breeding and Diet

Although they breed in winter and spring, males will call year-round, often from a higher position on reeds they have climbed. Females lay small clusters of eggs attached to the base of vegetation just below the waterline. Adults feed on small insects, whereas tadpoles initially feed on algae and submerged vegetation. Tadpoles are brown with a paler stripe running down either side from the snout to the tail.